The New York Department of Civil Service opened a new computer-based testing center in Buffalo on Wednesday. The facility will give state employees easier access to exams required for advancement.
To qualify for promotion, many state employees — from a state roadside worker wanting to progress into management to a clerical worker — are required to take a test, said civil service department spokesperson Bryan Viggiani.
More than 50,000 state employees took a promotion exam last year, said Debra Penn, director of the New York State Department of Civil Service Testing Services Division.
In the past, those exams were not digital and often had to be taken in local high schools on the weekends, said Viggiani.
Department Commissioner Timothy Hogues said the new Buffalo testing center will be open six days a week and allow examinees to schedule their own test times.
“We've also heard loud and clear that individuals would like more options in taking civil service examinations, and so we've expanded the opportunity for individuals to do this,” Hogues said. “This will eliminate the barriers that individuals have when having either childcare [or] just scheduling.”
The computer-based testing facility is located on Michigan Avenue. Hogues said the building has plenty of parking and easy access to bus lines, making it easy to access for many.
Currently, the exams needed for career advancement are not offered regularly and, if a state employee misses an exam, they would have to wait to take the next one, according to the department. However, the new center will offer exams more frequently.
Hogues said the expanded access will help with employee retention.
“So when individuals have the opportunity to promote and follow career paths, then they are more likely to stay,” Hogues said. “It also gives the state the opportunity to keep an employee that has experience. ... That’s what the civil service system is about, giving opportunities for current employees to promote up through the ranks as high as they can go.”
The new testing center has 91 workstations, which include six accessible seats across six dedicated rooms, according to the Department of Civil Service.
The department is working on opening more modern testing centers across New York. The first computer-based testing center opened in Albany with Buffalo being the second location.
Department of Civil Service Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Corso said the testing center will allow more public servants to build their careers in state government.
“Today we celebrate a facility, but we're really celebrating what makes possible career access, greater opportunity, and a stronger workforce for the future,” Corso said.